Chapter 84

# 84

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While Nabiya was lost in thought, her expression blank, Margaret suddenly clapped her hands.

"Anyway, it seems the important thing right now is lunch."

Rumble.

Upon realizing this, she felt very hungry.

Nabiya agreed with Margaret and got off the bed.

Looking at her clothes, she noticed she had already changed into her pajamas.

"Then, let's all go to the dining room for a meal. Of course, Minerva too."

At Schleman’s suggestion, Margaret also smiled gently and agreed.

"That’s a good idea. After lunch, we can have cake. We didn’t get to eat it yesterday, after all."

"Cake, huh. It would be good with tea. Come, Miss Nabiya. If you move, your wound might worsen, so I’ll carry you to the dining room."

Before Nabiya could refuse, Schleman picked her up and they all went downstairs.

Nabiya felt a tickling sensation in her heart.

'Just like me, Vivian.'

No, it was a bit different.

She wasn’t in a master-servant relationship with them.

'If I have to categorize it... are they friends?'

Nabiya couldn’t define this relationship.

After all, wasn’t she just a girl with a complicated background living in Esselred?

'I must be a nuisance...'

Lark was right.

She was a very annoying and troublesome presence.

She had brought unexpected turmoil to a quiet family and couldn’t offer any corresponding compensation, so it was understandable if they disliked her.

'Actually, His Excellency seems to dislike me.'

This thought made her uneasy.

How could she feel at ease knowing that the lord and master of the people she considered good was displeased with her?

'But... these people seem to like me.'

Of course, she might be interpreting things too favorably.

But this was a first.

Amid the chatter, she was being carried down the stairs, feeling like a family.

It was as if having a warm meal and dessert together had become a daily routine.

'It’s so peaceful, almost too much so.'

Nabiya felt her tense heart soften.

That said, she didn’t think this place was completely safe.

She didn’t dare to consider it her home.

However, she felt incredibly lucky.

She was lucky to receive such warm attention and care, and to be treated with such kindness.

As they descended to the first floor and headed toward the dining room,

"Excuse me."

A voice, slightly weary but full of vitality, rang out clearly across the lobby.

Everyone turned their heads with puzzled expressions, wondering who it was.

A woman carrying a large suitcase was walking toward them, her back to the light.

Nabiya’s eyes widened.

"Uh...?"

The woman approached them, close enough to converse, and put down her suitcase, catching her breath.

Her auburn hair and clear eyes gave her a determined look.

"Um, do you happen to have any job openings here?"

It was Charlotte.

Why had Charlotte come to Esselred? Nabiya stared at Charlotte blankly for a moment, then, without realizing it, clutched Schleman’s clothes and asked,

"What about the coffee house?"

The money Nabiya had given her was enough to start a small coffee house and pay the first month’s rent.

She thought Charlotte would be able to settle down and live comfortably in a new area with that.

Recently, reading clubs and coffee houses had become popular in the empire.

Coffee houses were so trendy that it was said that as long as they had a decent appearance, they would do well in business.

Charlotte met Nabiya’s red eyes directly and answered,

"My dream has changed."

Nabiya couldn’t bring herself to ask what her new dream was.

Just seeing Charlotte here was enough for her to guess what it was.

She was flustered. The tingling sensation on her cheeks grew stronger.

Today is really strange.

Schleman, unsure of what expression to make, awkwardly set Nabiya down on the floor.

Right now, it was the moment for Nabiya, as the lady of the house, to welcome a servant who was offering her loyalty.

It wasn’t appropriate to conduct such an important moment while being carried in someone’s arms.

"By coincidence, we were just in need of a dedicated maid for our young lady."

At Schleman’s words, Charlotte smiled broadly.

"That’s fortunate. I have experience in that field."

Charlotte’s bold statement made Schleman and even Margaret smile warmly.

'So Miss Nabiya wasn’t alone in Agnes after all.'

In fact, hiring a maid wasn’t usually done so casually.

But Esselred was different from a typical noble household.

Lark had no close noble friends to recommend servants, no wife to manage the household, and only a foolish cousin who coveted his title and wealth.

In this isolated situation, the mansion had been turned pitch black by magic, making it even worse.

No ordinary person would want to work in such a suspicious place.

Nabiya had a troubled look on her face.

Honestly, she was glad to see Charlotte.

After all, Charlotte was someone Nabiya knew, and they had worked well together, even if it was only for a few days.

However, there was a problem.

'Since this is about hiring someone, I need His Excellency’s permission. Plus, there’s the issue of salary, and if she works as my dedicated maid, she’ll need access to the third floor.'

Nabiya didn’t dare to wish for a dedicated maid while living as a guest.

Moreover, Lark had clearly warned her.

'He said not to be a nuisance.'

While she wasn’t sure what the atmosphere was like before she arrived, it was true that things had become noisy and chaotic since she came.

She didn’t want to upset him any further.

No, she mustn’t.

Then, Charlotte said,

"I didn’t come here to be a burden to you, Miss."

"..."

"I want to stay by your side and serve you. I want to repay the kindness you’ve shown me, even if it’s just a little."

Schleman watched the two of them and fell into a long memory.

He saw a reflection of his past self in Charlotte’s loyalty.

While Nabiya was still hesitating and couldn’t give a clear answer, Schleman smiled gently and suggested,

"We were just about to have lunch in the dining room. Would you like to join us?"

Sometimes, nobles would dine with their valued servants.

But this usually happened only when they had a small, private meal in their rooms.

Thus, Charlotte was surprised to be invited to dine in the dining room on her first day, but she soon answered politely,

"It’s an honor. Can I leave my luggage here for a moment?"

"Leave it to me."

Margaret summoned a shadow, shaped it into a bird, and had it carry Charlotte’s luggage to the second floor.

"Once we finish eating, I’ll show you to your room."

Charlotte, momentarily surprised by the sudden magic, soon bowed respectfully.

"Thank you for your consideration."

Nabiya felt a bit relieved by the welcoming atmosphere.

It seemed that all she needed was for Lark to allow Charlotte to stay.

'The situation is different from Theorban sending the maids unilaterally, so I need to get his permission.'

Those maids were paid by Theorban and were essentially used to pressure her with the anesthetic herb.

In comparison, Charlotte had no connections and had worked in Agnes.

There was no reason for Lark to accept her.

But... it would be nice if Charlotte could stay here.

'Charlotte managed to avoid being caught by Wood even while staying in the capital. He must have issued a warrant for her arrest.'

Wood, who had failed to enslave Nabiya, would surely have ordered Charlotte to be found.

In such a situation, it would be dangerous to send Charlotte away from the mansion.

"It’s fortunate that you seem to have been fine despite Wood’s actions."

"Without Filipa, the young master has no one to help him in these matters."

Nabiya smiled in agreement.

'That’s why I tried to take care of Filipa before leaving Agnes.'

Nabiya hesitated for a moment and then said,

"Good to see you, Charlotte."

At these words, Charlotte smiled with immense joy.